Thursday 15 October Cheddington

First Reading Romans 3: 21 – 30 TNIV

Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the "law" that requires faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from observing the law. ²⁹ Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, ³⁰ since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. ³¹ Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Gospel Luke 11: 47 – end TNIV

⁴⁷ "Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Because of this, God in his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.' ⁵⁰ Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

⁵² "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

⁵³ When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, ⁵⁴ waiting to catch him in something he might say.

Sermon

Justification through faith

Heart of letter to Romans

Paul’s theme – righteousness of God

Faithful, gracious, forgiving, merciful

This God revealed through Christ

Almost a different God from OT

Death of Jesus

Sacrifice for sin

Effective through faith in him

God has done what he always intended through the law and the prophets

But as in gospel, they were ignored, treated harshly, killed

Leaders of the Jews built their tombs

Language of sacrifice familiar to audience

Christ died for our sins

Like sacrifices of atonement in OT

But key verses are 23-4
²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

For Paul (and authors of Reformation)

Justification is by faith

Not reward for things done or not done

It has been purchased for us by God’s work in Christ

Our sins have and will be passed over

We are still fallen beings and will continue to sin

We say Confession at every service

But faith in Christ is sufficient atonement and redemption for sin, by free grace of God

So we have contrast

Law of works

Law of faith

Paul as a Jew cannot bring himself to nullify the Law but Jesus effectively does so by condemning the interminable interpretation and codification of the Law, making it impossible for ordinary people to be able to follow it:
⁵² "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

So now, all have the alternative of Righteousness through faith

Through the action of a gracious, forgiving and merciful God

Through faith in the effective sacrifice of Jesus